


Fever Brain

by Rina_Calavera



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sickfic, it's okay he has Zane, poor kai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_Calavera/pseuds/Rina_Calavera
Summary: Kai's got a fever, but it's not just his physical hurt that has Zane concerned.
Relationships: Kai/Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

Zane frowned at the thermometer in his hand. Sure, Kai had always run a little warm compared to the others…but this was even higher than usual for him. A brown hand swatting it away drew his attention back to his patient.

“I’m fine, Zane. Just feeling a little worn out. It’s been a long week.” Kai wasn’t exactly wrong. There’d been a series of frustrations that week, ranging from an avalanche in the mountains to one of the nearby villages getting flooded from all the rain. Even Nya had gotten pretty tired of all the water that week. And Kai…Kai had scared him.

“Earth to Zane!” Kay chimed. “You’re not still thinking about that thing in the snow, are you?” Zane pursed his lips. Kai groaned, throwing his head back. “I’m fine! It was just a little cold! Look at me!” The shorter ninja gestured to himself. “I’m fine. I took my medicine, Nya lectured my ears off, I’m better!” He corrected himself after Zane’s raised eyebrow. “I’m great!”

Zane debated the use of arguing with him. He sighed. “Fine, but if you begin feeling anything more,” Kai waved him off, nodding.

“Yeah, I know, call 911 and immediately report to you to discuss my will.” He stole a quick peck on the cheek before walking away. “I’m fine, Snowball, I promise! Just running a little hotter than usual.”

\-------------------------

“Are you sure you are fine, Kai?” Said ninja jumped with a yelp.

“Don’t scare me like that!” He hissed. Zane raised an eyebrow.

“We have been trying to get your attention, Kai. Should I,” Kai shook his head, protesting. Wu began lecturing them on their latest mission, and Zane quieted. Kai had zoned out on mission briefings before. It was probably nothing.

Right?

\-------------------------

Kai kept his eyes focused on the floor. If he didn’t look up, he wouldn’t see his boyfriend’s disapproving glare from behind the thermometer. The one that read a nice, even report of 101 degrees. His body stiffened with another shiver.

“Can I have a blank-“ Zane threw one of the infirmary sheets at his face. Kai mumbled out a muffled thank you from under the fabric.

Zane set the thermometer to be disinfected later, his movements quick and stiff. “I told you,” he said. “That you were still sick.”

Kai kept his eyes on the floor. Zane was scary when he was upset about being right. He kept staring while Zane cleaned up the infirmary, tersely ranting about being listened to the entire time. Kai listened at first. Then the tiles started blurring together. His eyelids were heavy…but his face felt hot. Uncomfortably hot. He’d been trying to keep it together all day to hide it from Zane, but now that he knew…his muscles felt like stretched rubber. The blanket on his shoulders was helping, but he still shivered between breaths. He scrunched his eyes closed and opened them again. He just needed to stay awake for a little longer. Zane would give him some medicine and then he could go lay down. No biggie. He just…his head felt like a bowling ball on his shoulders…the room was starting to tilt…

“-ai?” Was that Zane? He needed to pay attention…Zane didn’t like being ignored…

“Kai!” Zane dove to catch the fire ninja before he could smack his head onto the floor. He stared at the flushed face in his arms for a moment, concerned. Kai’s eyes had rolled back just before Zane had rushed to catch him, and now they were totally closed.

He sighed. Kai always was stubborn about these things, and he hated being sick. He shuffled the ninja around before taking him back to his bed. Hopefully after some real rest he’d be back on his feet in no time.


	2. Chapter 2

And then he wasn’t. It had been the better part of the day, and Kai hadn’t come out of his room. Zane frowned, checking the time. He’d put Kai to bed that morning, and now it was getting close to dinner. Normally he’d have woken up and dramatically sprawled on the couch by now. He rose to his feet to go check on the fireball.

Kai stared at the slats on the ceiling. They kept…wiggling. Like worms. He turned his head – that was a mistake, the room spun around him while he tried to keep from hurling. His head hurt…and he was cold. He clutched his comforter closer. He hadn’t felt this horrible since…since…

Had he ever felt this horrible?

There was that one time. With the overloser. And Zane…Zane had…been dumb. That sucked. He ended up punching people. And getting punched. A lot. That sucked too. Things always sucked after…after…

Zane walked into the room. Kai was wiggling in his bed, throwing his blanket this way and that. His frown deepened, and he reached for his forehead. Kai’s hand thrashed out and sloppily grabbed his wrist. Unfocused brown eyes looked at him in confusion.

“hoo you?” Kai mumbled. Zane shushed him, pushing damp hair out of his face. “Zane?” He nodded. Kai sounded out of it…it had to be the fever, Zane hadn’t had the chance to bring him any medicine since he’d passed out in the infirmary. Kai shook his head, looking woozy.  
“Er not…Zane…” His voice sounded odd. “Zane…Zane’s no’ here…” The ice ninja frowned at Kai.

“I am here, Kai. You have a fever, I am still here.” Kai started wiggling more. His face was scrunching up, scowling.

“Nuh-uh…’verl’ser took Zane…’ook m’ snowball…” Tears started springing up in his eyes. “I wan’ ‘im back…”

This was worrying. Kai was in a full-on fever dream…Zane cupped his face. He was absolutely broiling…it had to be higher than this morning. He moved to pick up Kai’s head. “You need to take some medicine, Kai.” The fire ninja’s thrashing wasn’t helping.

“D’n wan’ med’cine, wan’ Zane.” Tears were slowing tracking down his face now. Zane elected to take him back downstairs – this wasn’t going to happen easily here. Kai squirmed and protested as he was lifted in the air. He smacked his hand against the nindroid’s chest, whining. “Wan’ Zaaane…” His sad whines echoed down the hallway as they made their way back downstairs.

Zane gently set his boyfriend on the infirmary cot when they finally got into the room. Kai had stopped wiggling as much, but his green tinted face prompted Zane to set a small bucket next to the cot.

Zane’s brows furrowed at Kai’s continued whining. “Kai,” He gently asked. “If I am not Zane, where is he? Maybe I can go find him for you.” He stared in surprise as Kai just deflated into the cot.

“Y’can’t go fin’ ‘im.” He sniffed. “He’s gone…” Zane coaxed him into swallowing the medicine, watching as he downed some water. “He,” tears started welling up again. “He did som’thin’ dumb…he had to though…s’upid Pythor ruined th’ damn plan…”

Oh. Zane blinked. Kai was remembering…oh. When he’d really been gone, with no coming back. He was sniffling into the cot now, energy spent. Zane scooped him up again, making a point to lean into Kai’s shoulder. “I am sorry I left, Kai. I did not want to.”

Kai finally seemed to register who was holding him, giving a happy hum and snuggling into Zane.

The trip back up to Kai’s room was easier than the trip down without Kai’s wiggling. Luckily the medicine was fairly fast acting, and he was calmly sleeping by the time Zane left his room again.

Zane quietly shut the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Zane looked up at the quiet shuffle in the doorway. Kai smacked into the doorframe and let out a mumbled curse.

“You are awake!” He bolted to his feet to steady Kai’s stumbling. “Why did you not call me?” He guided the shorter ninja over to the couch, book forgotten.

“Miss’ you. Wan’d…wan’d t’find you…” Kai mumbled. He flopped onto the couch with a quiet mumble. Zane tsked and moved his legs to let him lie down. Kai’s hands sloppily curled around his wrists.

Zane cupped his face with a worried smile. “Kai, you are still running a fever. You should be in bed.” He gently scolded. He stepped back. “You are up for another dose…I shall be right back.” He paused at the pathetic whine from Kai.

“Snowball…”

Zane gently pried Kai’s hands off of his arm. “Right, back.” He repeated and walked away. Kai sadly pouted after him but stayed on the couch. He quickly slipped down to the infirmary and grabbed the correct meds.

After fetching the fever meds, he returned to a sad puddle of ninja on the floor. “Kai,” he sighed. He ignored Kai’s protests and wrestled him back onto the couch. He quietly convinced his fireball to take the meds, both of them huffing on the couch afterwards, with Kai looking mildly queasy.

Said ninja flopped over into Zane’s lap to look up at him with a lazy smile. Zane shook his head and returned it with a dry look. “Hello.” He teased.

Clumsy hands rested on his cheeks. Fever warmth leeched off of them and into his cool face. “Mmm.” Kai hummed. “Love m’snowball.” He slurred. “Takes good care’a me.” Zane smiled.

“I love you too, Kai.” Zane relaxed into the couch, prompting Kai to rearrange his legs around Zane’s longer limbs. “Now will you please rest?”

Kai happily snuggled into Zane with a hum. “Nap with me,” he demanded.

Zane playfully rolled his eyes and wiggled into the cushions. “Fine. But only if you sleep.” He insisted. He grabbed his book from its place on the arm of the couch and settled with Kai’s head on his chest.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet, with only steady flipping of pages and Kai’s quiet breathing as he slept the fever away.


End file.
